Light's Love and Night's Passion
by MiraculousDragonMaster
Summary: When Ash shows very promising talent, he quickly rises to stardom in Lumiose. But even after reuniting with his old friend, Dawn, he's also drawn to the Angel Phantom who haunts the theater. When terrible murders start to occur, he must make a choice between Dawn, who he's falling for, or the Angel, who will kill for his love. Pearl vs. Amour. Based off "The Phantom of the Opera."
1. Prologue

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: Okay, okay. I know, I know. I'm supposed to be working on other stories, but I just keep getting inspired. Well, I might not update some of my other stories for a while until I get some other ones done first. Which is supposed to be "Warming Hearts" and "Switching Lives" for Pokémon. But I'll at least leave you this prologue to peak some interest while I finish those up.**

**So, let's see where this goes. And action!**

Prologue

Lumiose City. It's a wondrous city of enchantment, adventure and mystery in the very heart of the Kalos region. The famed Lumiose Tower stood tall in its center of the grand city, marking its place in the world. Cars and carriages zipped all around the streets, people attending to their own business for the day.

But one small white car was heading towards a magnificent yet run down building that was near the center of the city, in the vicinity of Prism Tower. The large marble building looked like it was in its prime in its time, still having the front beautifully carved, though there were moss and ivy draping down the sides. There were two sets of stairs that led up to its entrance, curved at an angle.

The car stopped in front and out stepped three teenage children, all of them looking around fourteen and fifteen years old. The first one, the eldest, was a beautiful teenage girl with long raven black hair tied into a low ponytail with bangs down the left side of her face, sun-kissed tan skin, and beautiful brown eyes. She wore a bright yellow T-shirt, fitting blue jean capri, white crew socks, and white sneakers with black lightning bolt designs on the sides. Around her neck was a Gracidea pendant on a thin gold chain. Sitting on her left shoulder was a female Pikachu with a pink bow tied around the base of her left ear.

The second was a young man, about a year younger than his sister with a similar raven color for his hair, but it also had midnight blue shades in it. His hair looked very wild and untamed, though it looked like he had tried to comb it. He also had tan skin like his sister, but his eyes were a sapphire blue instead of chocolate brown. He wore a navy blue T-shirt under a black leather vest, dark wash jeans, white socks, and black and white sneakers. On his right hand, he had a lapis blue ring with an Aura symbol engraved on it. Following close behind him was a very rare female Lucario with a silver hoop earring in her right ear to showcase her gender.

The third was another teenage boy, the same age as the first one, with ocean blue hair with his short bangs spiked up, with matching sapphire eyes. However, unlike his brother and sister, his complexion was pretty fair, along with little Z-marks on his upper cheeks. He wore a sky blue T-shirt, darker blue jeans, black socks, and red and white sneakers. On his right wrist was a simple jade and turquoise leather cord bracelet, with a pretty sapphire water droplet charm in the middle. On his shoulder was a male Piplup with a little red bandana around his neck.

The three siblings looked up at the tall building in front of them. It certainly looked run down and worse for the wear. Though it must've been magnificent to look at back in its heyday.

"Is this the right place, Mari?" The dark blue-haired boy asked his sister, feeling a little skeptical.

The teenage girl, Mari, took out a folded paper map from her pocket and looked at it. "Yep. This is it, Luke." She said. "L'air de L'harmonie. The Aria of Harmony Music Hall."

Luke whistled, impressed at the old structure in front of them. "I still can't believe that Dad actually used to live here, and training to live under their rules of performing instead of training for Pokémon battles."

"Well, he actually did train here, but he also had to learn to perform." Mari clarified for him.

The blue-haired boy continued to look up at the music hall with analyzing eyes. "But it's been closed for over sixteen years due to some freak accident." He said. "Why hold an auction now?"

Mari shrugged as she put the map away. "Who knows?" She said. "Though I've heard stories about why this place closed down.

Luke nudged his brother playfully with his elbow. "Yeah, Evan." He said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "The Angel Phantom."

Evan tried to suppress a shudder, though he glared dryly at his twin brother. "Please don't mention that name." He said as he took his Piplup off his shoulder and held him in his arms. "I've had enough sleepless nights from what people have told us when we first came to Lumiose City."

"We've only been here for a week." Luke reminded him, crossing his arms. "With Mom being the best Top Coordinator in the entire world, she had to be here for the signing of the official petition to allow holding Pokémon Contests here in Kalos."

"And yet our sick dad wants us and Mom to come to an auction being held here?" Evan asked, gesturing to the deserted music hall.

Mari rolled her eyes at Evan's well-hidden paranoia. "This place was pretty special to Mom and Dad when they were a little older than us." She explained to her youngest brother. "Of course they would want to come back here again if they ever got the chance. Dad would've come too, if Mom hadn't insisted that he stay in bed today."

The car side door was opened and an older woman, about in her thirties, stepped out. She looked much like Evan, with the same midnight blue hair and sapphire eyes, though her hair was much longer and loose on her back and her eyes have much experience in them. Her skin was also fair, but devoid of any marks. She wore a soft pink blouse under a black cardigan, jeans, and black knee-length boots.

"It's your father's fault for training out in the cold rain yesterday." Their mother, Dawn said as she closed the car door. Following close behind her was a male Prinplup. "I swear, he's still as stubborn as he was when we were kids."

"So, what's so important that we have to come and attend the auction today?" Luke asked their mother.

"You'll see." Dawn said. "Your dad said that I'll know it when I see it. And that will be the only thing we'll be bidding on, then we'll head back to our hotel."

Her children looked at each other with confused glances, but only shrugged as they followed their mother inside the building, their Pokémon following them.

When they entered inside the music hall, the auction was already taking place. There was a decent crowd gathered around, and one by one, something had been sold.

"Number Ten." The auctioneer said into the microphone. "A poster showcasing Miss Jessilia, one of the original Performers that would often perform here in this very theater."

One of the helpers showed off a faded and slightly torn poster showing a lovely woman with really long, fuschia pink hair tied up, green eyes, and wearing a deep purple dress. She was in an elegant pose that showed that she had poise.

The three siblings looked over at their mother, who was analyzing the woman in the poster. She soon rolled her eyes in annoyance and muttered something under her breath. Call her children curious, but it sounded like, "How have we not noticed them with all their silly disguises for so many years?" Maybe they should ask her about it another time.

"Selling at ¥500." There was only one bid made on the poster, and it was sold very quickly. As the buyer took away the poster, the next item came up onto the stage, and the auctioneer made the announcement and description.

"Number Eleven. A set of costume props, used by some of the performers that once danced across the very same stage that is behind us."

In the glass case, there was a silver tiara, golden bracelets, and pink hair bows. They still looked like they were in good condition. "Selling at ¥1000." The auctioneer said.

As the bids slowly counted up, Dawn looked forward and saw a chill go up her spine at who she laid eyes on. There was a tall man in the crowd with dark silver hair, violet eyes and fair skin. He wore a black shirt, dark blue pants and black shoes. There was even a white lab coat draped around his frame, so that meant that he was a professor. His eyes seemed to bore into her, even though they haven't seen each other in almost sixteen years.

Her children saw the silent exchange between their mother and the older man across the room, and they shared a curious glance with each other. It seemed that their mother and this older man had some history together. The man then turned his gaze over to them, and his deep, analyzing gray eyes seemed to penetrate them.

A faint smile came on his face when he saw them. Dawn was just as beautiful as he had last seen her when she was younger. And her children were all quite lovely. Her daughter was the spitting image of her father, even with the Pikachu perched on her shoulder; while the boys looked a bit different, yet similar. One of them was a perfect blend of his parents with a rare female Lucario by his side, while the other looked very much like his mother; right down to the little Piplup in his arms. Dawn and her husband must be quite proud of them.

The auctioneer banged his gavel loudly, calling all attention back to the auction. The costume set had been sold, and they were now showing the next item up for auction.

"Number Twelve, ladies and gentlemen. A music box studded with pieces of rose quartz. Attached, a figure of an Aipom dancing on its tail." The auctioneer announced.

Everyone turned to look at the music box. It was just as it was described. A beautiful antique, and the dancing Aipom figurine on top looked happy with a faded but grinning little face painted on. "This item was found within the vaults of the theater, and it is still in working order, ladies and gentlemen."

The assistant then turned a key that was on the side of the music box. Soon, once it was wound up a couple of times, it started to play a chiming little melody with the Aipom spinning slowly around on the top of the box. The song was calm and peaceful that everyone could feel it and couldn't help but smile.

Mari, Luke and Evan glanced over at their mother and they saw the little gleam in her eyes when she saw the music box. Apparently, that was what they were at the auction for. Prinplup even patted the side of her leg as the little melody died down.

"May we start the bid at ¥1500?" The auctioneer said. There was one bid. "Thank you."

Dawn then raised her hand, silently making her bid. "Thank you, madam. ¥2000."

The silver-haired man then raised his own hand. "Professor Sycamore, 2500. Thank you, monsieur. ¥3000?" He asked.

Dawn lifted her hand again, raising the bid. "¥3000. Do I hear 3500?"

The family turned over to Professor Sycamore. He smiled kindly at them, and then shook his head to the auctioneer, saying that he was out of the bidding.

"Selling at ¥3000. Going once, going twice." He then banged his gavel on the stand. "Sold for ¥3000 to Mrs. Dawn Ketchum. Thank you, madam."

The assistant handed Dawn the music box while Mari quickly dug through her mother's purse and pulled out the right amount of money to give to him. Dawn looked like she was on a trip down memory lane as she analyzed every little detail of it, and Prinplup looked just as entranced as she was.

_A collector's piece, indeed._ She thought to herself. _It's exactly as he had described it._ She then tilted her head slightly to the side fondly, but also with a hint of sadness in her eyes, as if she wanted to talk to the Aipom figurine. _Will you still play when all of us are gone?_

Mari and the twins looked at their mother with confused eyes, and then at each other. It seemed pretty obvious that this music box had some value to her. They then looked over at their Pokémon partners, and they seemed just as clueless.

"Mom?" Mari asked Dawn. "Is everything okay?"

Luke looked down at the music box in his mother's hands. "This is what we came here for?" He questioned, as if he wasn't sure if he should believe it. "A music box?"

"What's so special about this lost antique?" Evan added, eyeing the rose quartz pieces on the box. It looked like most of them lost their luster due to being in storage for longer than any of them had been alive.

Dawn smiled. "Well, this music box actually belonged to someone that your father and I once knew." She explained quietly, her little smile fading into a thin line as memories long buried deep came back into her mind. "It was a long time ago, before any of you were born, and even before your dad and I got married. She only longed to be loved, but in the end, she caused her own heartbreak."

"She?" Mari repeated, her head tilted in confusion.

"She who?" Luke asked.

"Number Thirteen." The auctioneer announced, getting everyone's attention back. "A chandelier in pieces."

Everyone in the room turned behind them as some assistants pulled away large bolts of white cloth away from a broken crystal chandelier. It looked like it could've been quite a sight when it hung from the ceiling and was not broken.

"Some of you might recall the strange events that had happened in this very music hall, revolving around the so-called Angel Phantom." The auctioneer said. "A mystery never fully solved nor explained."

The Ketchum kids' eyes widened. "She was a real person?" Evan asked, pulling his Piplup down from his shoulder to hold in his arms.

As much as Mari and Luke had wanted to tease their teenage baby brother, they were just as surprised as he was. All three of them glanced over at their mother, and saw that Dawn looked entranced, neither in intrigue nor fear.

"We have been told that this is the very chandelier that fell and broke in the famous disaster that occurred here nearly sixteen years ago." The auctioneer continued. "We have managed to fix the ropes and the lighting, and cleaned up some of the broken crystals. Perhaps we could frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little light."

As the auctioneer's assistants prepared to light up the chandelier and carefully pull it back up to the ceiling, the Ketchum kids turned over to their mother.

"Mom?" Luke asked. "The Angel Phantom was real?"

Dawn slowly nodded, her eyes still on the chandelier as it got ready to be relit for the first time in sixteen years. "As real as you and me, son." She answered.

Mari's eyes widened. "You've seen her before?" She questioned. "What did she look like?"

"Was she actually scary?" Evan added.

Dawn chuckled lightly. "One at a time." She said to them, turning to her children. "It's a story that very few people know and would ever understand." Her kids looked at her confused, so she decided to give a brief overview before diving deeper into the story.

"She may have appeared to be mysterious, beautiful and talented with her skills as a Performer. But on the inside, her spirit was corrupted, while she had believed that her own face was the corruption."

By now, the chandelier was immediately lit up and began rising up to its rightful place on the ceiling. As dust began blowing away as it did, Dawn began to recall when everything seemed right with the world, but in reality, this place held a dark secret within.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, this is based off "The Phantom of the Opera". I'm going to try and not rely very much on the musical, and slightly more on the original novel, but no promises. I've got to find it and read it for myself. Just a heads-up, there will be some death in here, including some character deaths. **

**So does this interest you? Well, please leave a review about what you think. Until the first official chapter, I'll see y'all!**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	2. The Aria of Harmony Music Hall

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: Okay, I think this will either be a big flop or one of my greatest works yet, judging by how many times I came to this chapter to write it. Well, I'll let you guys be the actual judge of that.**

**Let's get on with the first official chapter! Roll it!**

Chapter 1

The Aria of Harmony Music Hall

_Lumiose City, sixteen years ago_

The Aria of Harmony Music Hall was then known as the crown jewel of Lumiose City when it comes to performing arts. People from all over the world would come and see its star cast perform on its stage. It was one of the best places to be in the heart of Kalos.

A long, fancy black car soon came up to the front of the theater, stopped and parked. The driver came out of his seat and then opened the passenger door behind him.

Dawn Berlitz then stepped out of the car, then about twenty years old. She wore a pink dress that hugged her curves with red heeled shoes on her feet, and her midnight blue hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Around her neck was a choker with a red bow on it.

She looked up at the theater with wonder in her blue eyes, and then began entering it by walking up the steps to the front entrance. She couldn't be any more excited to be there.

* * *

By then, they were rehearsing for the premiere of a new show. Performers and their Pokémon were scuttling around, getting into their proper positions, and stage helpers, along with their own Pokémon, were making sure that the stage and all of its systems were ready for the show that night.

Professor Sycamore, then sixteen years younger, was supervising everything backstage. His hair was much darker and not having a single speck of silver in it yet, and he wore a deep purple shirt underneath a bright white lab coat, dark pants and shoes.

Two young stage helpers and their partners stood out from their fellow workers. One was a blond man, about twenty years old, with blue-gray eyes shielded with glasses, fair skin, and wearing a pale blue jumpsuit with white sneakers. His name was Clemont Edison, the Lumiose City Gym Leader, and his partner was a little male Chespin.

The other young man, who was the same age as Clemont, had brown eyes, wild raven-black hair tucked underneath a red and white cap, and tan skin with little Z-marks on his cheeks. He wore a blue and white collared T-shirt, dark gray pants, and red and black sneakers, along with black fingerless gloves with red trim on his hands. His name was Ash Ketchum, a Kanto native, and his partner was a cute little male Pikachu.

By now, a slightly older woman was rehearsing the opening act of the show with a Wobbuffet and a Gourgeist. It was Miss Jessilia.

She was considered very beautiful, but she was also exceedingly vain and prideful, making her quite insufferable for some. At the moment, she was practicing for the opening act of the performance that night. She was wearing a long purple dress that hugged her curvy form but seemed a little too fancy, even for a dress rehearsal.

"Gourgeist, use Shadow Ball!" She commanded.

The Ghost and Grass type obeyed her mistress and fired a dark shadowy orb of power.

"Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat." Jessilia ordered.

The Psychic type stood there and made his blue skin glow with a reflective appearance, almost like a prism reflecting the colors of the rainbow. The Shadow Ball hit him, but he didn't take any damage and just made the energy bounce upward and shower down in purple sparkles. Jessilia then began dancing with Gourgeist in mid-air, laughing.

Watching from backstage, Ash, Clemont and their partners rolled their eyes at her tactics simultaneously. But there was something about that laugh that rubbed off on Ash the wrong way, like he had heard it somewhere before. But he pushed the thought away. He was probably thinking too much about it.

He glanced over at Clemont, and almost busted up laughing to see that he was mimicking Jessilia, mouthing out her over-the-top giggles. But he quickly stopped when Professor Sycamore was making his rounds over to them. They both busied themselves with the stage curtains as he passed them by. Once he was out of sight, they both snickered, and did their Pokémon.

Watching them from the other side of the stage, however, was a slightly older purple-haired man and a Meowth, both of them dressed very nicely, though the Meowth was expertly disguised to pass as a very short man. They both glared hatefully at Ash as he tried to stifle his snickers with his blond friend.

Unknown to the younger raven-haired man, both they and the performing woman on the stage were Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket, his archenemies. They had been after him and his Pikachu ever since Ash was just a ten-year-old boy, barely starting out on his Pokémon journey in his home region of Kanto. But every time they tried to capture Pikachu, they had failed. But about three or four years ago, they had lost track of him after his journey in the Unova region. He had just turned seventeen years old, and they all thought that he vanished off the face of the earth.

After a long agonizing year of searching, they learned that Ash was in the Kalos region after his mother had died from a terrible illness and Professor Oak had taken him in as his assistant, along with his good friend Tracey. He was sent to Kalos for an extended period to learn from Professor Sycamore about the native Pokémon and Mega Evolution.

When they learned that Ash would sometimes help out at the music hall with the professor and his own apprentice, they went undercover to get their chance. But every night, Ash somehow disappears, and isn't seen until the following day. So after two to three years of undercover work; it all felt like it had been wasted. But if anything, they learned that good things come to those who wait.

Just then, the Master of Performances, Pierre came on the stage. He was a tall blonde man, wearing a blue suit with a matching top hat. Following beside him was a little Klefki.

"As you can see, Mademoiselle," he was saying, "rehearsals are underway for tonight's show."

"Monsieur Pierre, I am rehearsing!" The director complained.

"Monsieur, Professor Sycamore." Pierre apologized. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen.

"It seems we have two special guests who will be joining us for the gala after tonight's performance." Pierre said. "First off, our Kalos Queen, the lovely Aria."

Everyone clapped as a young woman with long red hair and blue eyes came onto the stage. She wore a light blue and yellow dress, and following behind her was a Delphox. Jessilia, however, looked at her scornfully.

"Look at you, little miss perfect." She scowled. "We'll see who's the true Kalos Queen after tonight."

Aria smiled kindly. "Thank you." She said, waving to everyone politely. "Now, Pierre said that I could invite someone to come to the gala tonight. Well, I'm honored to introduce a rising star in the world of style and grace, a Coordinator from the Sinnoh region."

When Ash heard that, he perked up visibly. It couldn't be, could it?

"Your new instructor, Miss Dawn Berlitz." Aria announced.

Everyone clapped as Dawn came onto the stage. Ash felt his heart stop, and then began to pound at a faster rate. She had certainly grown since he last saw her, back when they were sixteen when she visited him while he was traveling in Unova.

"Dawn." He whispered, a tender little smile coming onto his face.

Pikachu saw the look on his Trainer's face and beamed brightly. He too remembered their adventures with the pretty blunette Coordinator. It was when things were much more simple and not dreary. Well, as simple as an unpredictable Pokémon journey can get.

However, Clemont also noticed the look on his friend's face. "You know her?" He asked quietly.

Ash nodded, the smile on his face slightly starting to grow more as he spoke. "Back when I was traveling in the Sinnoh region six years ago, where she's from. We were pretty close, and made an unstoppable team."

"Just how close were you two?" Clemont asked, a sly smile forming on his face.

Ash caught the implication, and slightly blushed. "We were only fifteen!" He hissed, sending a firm jab to his friend's arm, who only chuckled at how his friend, who was infamously oblivious to the ways of women, was acting when it came to this particular girl. "Nothing ever happened. Not even when I saw her again in Unova about four years ago."

But Ash wasn't the only one who recognized the young woman. Team Rocket almost dropped their jaws off at the sight of her.

"The Sinnoh region twerpette!" James quietly exclaimed.

"What's she doing here?" Meowth spat.

But Jessie was glaring at her with burning jealousy, looking at her up and down, seething at the curves that she had gotten in the past four years. Back then, she only saw her as skinny as a beanpole when the latter was still a teenage girl.

"How dare she think that she's much prettier than me?!" She seethed. James and Meowth only sighed. She could stuff her head with as much fantasies as she wants, but the saying goes, "Beauty is only skin deep."

Dawn smiled brightly. "I'm honored to support all manner of Trainers and their Pokémon showing off style and grace in displays. Especially here at the famous Aria of Harmony Music Hall."

Everyone applauded again at her statement. Pierre then began introducing the two ladies to the stars of the show. "Ladies, this is Miss Jessilia, our opening act for tonight's show."

Not wanting to risk slipping up, Jessie put on a smile and curtsied to them, even if she felt like ripping their hair and dresses apart.

"And that is Miss Miette, our leading Performer here at the Music Hall." Pierre gestured to a young woman looking about Dawn's age, with short periwinkle hair, ruby red eyes and fair skin. She wore a blue and white dress, with a yellow bandana in her hair.

"An honor, Miss." Aria greeted.

"Yes." Dawn agreed. "But I think we are keeping you all from your rehearsal. We will both be here this evening to celebrate your grand premiere."

Aria nodded. "Indeed." She then curtsied a farewell, as did Dawn. "Our apologies, everyone."

"Thank you, Mademoiselles." The director said to them as they and Pierre began to leave. "And now, from the top, everyone."

Dawn was leaving the stage when she strode right past Ash. It hurt a little to see her walk past him, as if he were invisible. But he quickly brushed it off when he saw Clemont looking at him with concerned eyes.

"She wouldn't recognize me now." He assured him.

Clemont shook his head. "She didn't see you." He said. "And besides, who would forget about you? You're certainly someone who stands out in a crowd."

Aria and Pierre were about to follow, but Professor Sycamore cut them off. "Before you both leave, I want to show you how the stagehands have been handling the ropes around here."

They both nodded in agreement, and they trailed closely behind the professor as they walked around the edge of the stage.

"They all have been doing marvelous work here." Pierre complimented, watching all of the stage hands pull ropes up and down and inspect all corners of the stage. "Especially that blond lad. He seems to know his stuff." He pointed to Clemont, who held a rope tight in his hands while Chespin climbed up to check the pulley system.

"That's my personal apprentice, Clemont Edison." Professor Sycamore said. "And he's also the Lumiose City Gym Leader."

Aria then noticed Ash, who was at a different part of the backstage area, coiling up some unused rope at a fast pace, along with the help from Pikachu. "And that young man with the Pikachu." She said.

"Ash Ketchum." Professor Sycamore said. "He shows very promising talent in the art of battle and in other styles as well. He is quite the gifted young man, I must admit."

"Ketchum, you say?" Pierre asked. "No relation to Jayce Ketchum, the former Kanto Champion Master?"

Sycamore nodded sadly. "His only child." He said. "He lost his father when he was very young, and then his mother just three years ago." Aria clutched her heart at the notion of Ash losing both of his parents, and he was entering into the prime of his life.

"He now works as an assistant to Professor Oak back in Kanto, and he came here to live for a time, learning as much as he can about Kalos Pokémon and our local traditions." Sycamore continued.

"An orphan, is he?" Pierre questioned the obvious, also saddened by Ash's backstory.

"Now, Gourgeist, use Dark Pulse!" Jessilia ordered with a spin.

The Ghost and Grass type quickly obeyed her mistress and released purple rings of energy up into the air, making them dissipate into the same purple sparkles as she danced around Jessilia and Wobbuffet.

Clemont and Ash shook their heads. "She's more focused on showing herself off than her Pokémon." The blonde man said.

Ash just nodded in agreement, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. "The Pokémon are really the main attraction in Performances, not the Performer herself." He added.

_And it's the same thing with Contests, too._ He thought to himself, remembering all of the many tips that he and Dawn had learned when they were traveling together in Sinnoh.

And it seemed that they were not the only ones who noticed that little flaw in Jessilia's over-the-top performance. Pierre and Aria did, too.

"Uh, please stop." Aria said kindly, and the music became silent. "Um, Miss Jessilia, the work you're doing is quite unique, but it looks like you're not really showing off your Pokémon."

Jessie's temper then began to flare up. "What would you know about being a star?" She snapped, making everyone around her flinch visibly.

James and Meowth saw that and immediately grabbed her. "Uh, forgive Miss Jessilia." James excused, sweat almost dripping down his face. "She has quite the unpredictable mood swings from time to time."

"Yeah, give her a couple of minutes, and she'll be happy as a Spoink in mud." Meowth added quickly, dragging her arm.

Suddenly, there was a loud clanking sound from above the stage. Everyone immediately looked up just in time to see a large sandbag falling down quickly. Most of the girls screamed in terror at the large and heavy bag coming down, and the smaller Pokémon jumped into their Trainer's arms for security. But then, everyone was terrified as the bag landed right on Jessilia's head, knocking her unconscious.

As people went over to see if she was okay, Clemont whispered to Ash. "She's here. The Angel Phantom."

Ash didn't answer him, his eyes cautiously scanning the top walkways of the stage area where some of the stagehands worked, trying to see if there was any sign of anyone being up there than the authorized personnel. For some reason, the Angel Phantom has intrigued him more than scared him.

Pikachu noticed how intently his Trainer was staring up at the ceiling. _"Pika-pi?"_ He asked, curious.

Ash finally tore his gaze away from above and looked down at the Electric type in his arms. "I'm okay, buddy." He assured him.

But there was something about his statement that rubbed on the Mouse Pokémon the wrong way, like his Trainer wasn't telling him something.

Professor Sycamore looked up to the ceiling with eyes focused. He then saw a piece of paper lying on the ground, sealed close with a blood red wax seal bearing a rose symbol. He picked it up, looked over it, and then back up at the ceiling.

James and Meowth were fussing over the unconscious Jessie. "Well, she's still breathing." The purple-haired man said. "Just out of it for a little while."

Meowth looked up and saw the lead stagehand, who was a stout fellow, up where the sandbag had fallen from. "What happened up there?" He demanded.

"My apologies, sir, but I wasn't at my post." The lead stagehand said. "There was no one there." A smirk then came on his face. "Or if there was, then it must've been a ghost." He cackled.

Meowth scoffed. "Ever since we came here, for the past two years, things as wacked up as this have been happening!" He said. "Where's a good security system when you need one?"

"Come along now." James said. "Let's get Miss Jessilia back to her room to recuperate. No matter how long it will take." Meowth nodded, and they, along with Gourgeist and Wobbuffet, lifted up Jessie and left the stage.

"How long will that take?" Aria asked James. He only shrugged visibly before he and Meowth snuck away.

Professor Sycamore came up to Pierre and Aria, the latter visibly shaken up by what had just happened before her, and the former was trying to assure her that everything was alright.

"Monsieur Pierre, I have a message." He said to the chairman of Performances, holding out the piece of paper he had found, the seal now broken. "From her."

"Please, not now. And not in front of Mademoiselle Aria." Pierre snapped. "All of you seemed to be obsessed with this."

"Who?" Aria asked.

"The Angel Phantom." Sycamore answered her, his eyes locked on hers. "She welcomes you to her music hall."

"Her music hall?" Aria continued to question, getting more panicked and confused.

"Breathe, Mademoiselle." Pierre urged her.

"She explains in her message that Box Seven up here," Professor Sycamore pointed to a balcony seat up near the corner of the theater, "will be kept empty for her use." He then turned to Pierre. "And she also reminds you that her payment is due."

"Her payment?" Aria asked, glancing at Pierre suspiciously.

"Perhaps your ¥20,000 monthly payments will be increased immensely, with Miss Berlitz being a temporary part of the company." Sycamore suggested.

Pierre had enough of it and took the paper, ripping it into pieces and then tossing them away while he spoke. "Monsieur, I had hoped to make that announcement public tonight when Miss Berlitz will be joining us for the gala tonight."

The mention of Dawn caught Ash's attention as he glanced up from his work to look over at the conversing men from where he was standing; checking the stage props. However, he quickly returned back to his job, helping Clemont tighten some bolts on one of the platforms.

"But now, it seems that we must cancel as it appears we have lost our opening act." Pierre finished.

By now, Aria had recovered from her little panic attack. "Well, what should we do now?" She asked him, now much more calm but still a little frightened about what had been said and occurred in the span of five minutes. "There isn't an understudy for Miss Jessilia."

Sycamore glanced out of the corner of his eye, and then back to the two Performers. "Ash Ketchum could perform it." He offered.

Everyone on the stage stopped what they were doing to look at either the professor or the mentioned young man himself, who was startled himself.

"A stagehand?" Pierre asked, slightly baffled by the suggestion. "Are you sure about that?"

Ash wanted to speak up, saying that he can't perform, and not just for the fact that there has never been a male Performer in history; for the Kalosian art was reserved only for girls, but Professor Sycamore cut him off.

"It's true, there has never been a male Performer in the history of Kalos, but there are male Coordinators out there in the world."

"Coordinators." Aria said. "Like Miss Berlitz."

"Correct." Sycamore said. "I have said before that Ash shows promising talent as a Coordinator, which is similar to a Performer. Also, he has been sharpening his skills with a wonderful teacher."

Ash felt a weird chill go down his spine when he heard that. He was sure that he was being careful whenever he would go off and practice.

Pikachu once again glanced at his Trainer. Ash wasn't telling him something, and he didn't like it one bit. Also, he didn't like how his Trainer was acting most of the time. Oh, he was still the rash but good-hearted person he had always been since he was a boy, but ever since the death of his mother and their transfer to Kalos, he seemed to have lost...the spark in his eyes and replaced with a dullness of sadness, and sometimes acted like a shell of a puppet.

"Really?" Pierre said, then turned over to the Ketchum boy. "Is there a name we should put on this person?" He asked him.

"I…." Ash trailed off. "I don't know her name, sir." He admitted nervously.

Clemont looked at his friend with concerned eyes. Professor Sycamore came up to the raven-haired youth.

"Let him at least show us a demonstration." He suggested. "He's quite talented, and has been well-taught."

Ash was still pretty hesitant. It has been so long since he even competed in a Contest. And that was in the Wallace Cup in the Sinnoh Region five years ago.

He looked over at Clemont, who gave him a reassuring thumbs-up. He then looked over at Pikachu, who chirped encouragingly. He took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the front of the stage.

"Mademoiselle, this is doing nothing for my nerves." Pierre whispered to Aria.

"Oh, hush!" She quietly chided. "Let's just see what he's capable of."

The blinding light of the spotlights positioned above him almost blinded Ash for a second, but after remembering all of the battle tournaments and the publicized battles that he had participated in over the past half of his life until he came to the Kalos region, soon calmed down his nerves. He closed his eyes and took in another deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

When he opened his eyes again, that spark that Pikachu had thought was lost returned, making the Electric type literally feel the power of his sheer confidence, and it was contagious.

"Just like long ago, buddy." He said.

_"Pika!"_ Pikachu pumped up his little fist, returning his Trainer's confidence and enthusiasm. Just seeing that familiar look in Ash's eyes whenever they would have a battle or in a competition was enough for him; just like old times.

"Use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, punching the air in front of him.

Pikachu obeyed and immediately jumped off his Trainer's shoulder, silver traces of energy forming around him, increasing his speed dramatically. He then zipped all around the front of the stage, showing off his agility.

Everyone was impressed so far by the little Pokémon's impressive speed, understanding why Ash is thought to be a talented Trainer.

"Now Thunderbolt, the same way!" Ash gave out the next command.

Pikachu then had bright yellow electricity appearing around his body from his cheek sacs as he ran around in circles, releasing the energy into the air, forming crackling rings of electricity. The sight of it made everyone gasp in awe.

"Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu immediately stopped running and jumped high in the air, his lightning shaped tail turning into a bright silver. He then swung his metallic tail into one of the electric rings, causing it to bounce around on the floor and hit the other rings, like it was part of a pinball game.

"Alright!" Ash cheered, and then he got in on the action himself, running and jumping with Pikachu as they either jumped into or dodged the electrifying rings.

Everyone was in awe at the daring stunt they were seeing. It was almost like….they were dancing, with the way they leaped and dodged the rings so gracefully, and smiling throughout. It even looked like they were having fun.

Finally, both Trainer and Pokémon jumped as high as they could into the air as all three rings of electricity rammed into each other, causing powerful crackles of electricity to pierce the air all around them, showcasing just how powerful Pikachu's electric attacks are, even when in a performance. It was showcasing power and elegance all at once.

Suddenly, the rings all dissipated into bright, but brief, flashes of light, and then little yellow sparkles and crackles of electrical energy came raining down gently on Ash and Pikachu as they both landed perfectly back onto the stage, the Electric type lithely landing on his master's outstretched arm with a confident pose for their finish.

Everything was completely silent as Ash slowly stood straight back up, breathing heavily with anticipation and adrenaline, suddenly feeling like he was completely exhausted. Then again, it had been so long since he had done anything like this. The fun that he had, the excitement of the Contests he was in, the ideas of combinations that he and Dawn helped perfect during their Sinnoh journey, all the memories of doing those happy and wonderful times came rushing back to him in brief instances in the eye of his mind.

Suddenly, there was a slow clapping behind him as he was pulled out of his thoughts. Ash turned around and saw that Clemont was starting to clap for him. Then Professor Sycamore joined the applause. Soon, everyone that was in the theater, whether in the audience or on the stage were clapping and cheering loudly for the amazing performance that they had just witnessed.

Ash felt a strange but familiar twinge of pride and accomplishment began to fill up inside him, something he hadn't felt in such a long time. An uncontrollable grin came up on his face as he listened to the growing applause.

_"Pika, Pika!"_ Pikachu cheered, relishing in the now thunderous applause and began nuzzling his Trainer's cheek, making him laugh.

"Well, it seems we have an act!" Aria announced happily, making everyone cheer even louder than before. It seemed that the show was back on track.

* * *

**A/N: The performance that Ash and Pikachu did was similar to their appeal in the Terracotta contest. Nothing too suspenseful yet, but trust me, it will get there.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	3. The Show and Afterwards

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: I think I'm starting to get on a roll with this! Which is actually okay for me, since my finals will be coming up in a couple of weeks. This definitely helps relieve stress.**

**Anyway, instead of this turning into a therapy session, let's get on with Chapter 2! Roll it!**

Chapter 2

The Show and Afterwards

"How did I get roped into this?" Ash muttered annoyedly under his breath as he put on an ivory white cape loose over his body, which was dressed in a similar matching tuxedo. His wild raven hair was now devoid of his usual cap, giving him a roguish hero look to his ensemble.

All in all, he looked quite attractive, which was not usually his style. Give him a cap, a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, and he was ready for anything. But this? He felt more like a gussied-up male model. Definitely not who he is.

It had only been four short hours since his unofficial audition, and after giving the green light to do the opening act for the show, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Come on, Ash." Clemont tried to reassure his friend. "You were amazing earlier! Just do the same thing that you did before."

"But I still have to perform this thing with two Pokémon." Ash reminded him, putting some emphasis in his words. "In the three Contests that I've competed in my entire life, they all required only one Pokémon."

Memories of his participation in the unofficial Terracotta Contest in Kanto, the Jubilife Contest in Sinnoh, and the Sinnoh Wallace Cup at Lake Valor came back into his mind. He definitely had some fun times, even though the Terracotta Contest was an unofficial Contest, and the Wallace Cup was the farthest he'd ever gotten in an official Contest, making it to the second round of the Battle Stage. Still, even with the little experience he had, this was on another level.

"Don't worry about it too much." Clemont continued to assure him. "They're going to love you. No need to worry."

The familiar phrase echoed in Ash's head. Of course, he couldn't forget who else was going to be watching him on stage tonight.

_Dawn._

She was the one who had inspired many of his battle strategies for his Gym Battles, and she was also one of his strongest supporters. He admired her confidence in her Pokémon, her skills, and in him, and she always pushed him to work and train as hard as he could.

In turn, he did the same for her. It seemed like it was a repetitive cycle between them as they helped each other get back up and train hard. In all honesty, he liked how well they worked as a team, despite them always bickering in the beginning. He had missed her terribly, but he wasn't sure if she even want to reconnect with him, after he had basically disappeared for a while.

_"Pikachu!"_ The annoyed and discomforted cry of his number one partner caught Ash's attention. Both he and Clemont turned to see that Pikachu was having trouble tying a simpler and smaller white cape around him.

His Trainer chuckled and went over to the Mouse Pokémon. "Here, let me help." He offered.

Once the cape was fitted on his top partner better, Ash then turned back to Clemont. "At least I was able to call Professor Oak earlier and have him send one of the few Pokémon who has some Contest experience." He said.

"Which one?" Clemont asked.

"My Buizel." He answered.

"A Water type and an Electric type." Clemont said. "Are you sure about that?"

Ash just smirked at him. "I've learned a few tricks during my journeys, and the three of us have been practicing hard all afternoon." He said. "I think we'll be fine."

Just then, Ash's Buizel came in, wearing ivory cuffs around his paws. "Looking good, Buizel." Ash complimented.

_"Bui, bui!"_ The Sinnoh Water type said proudly, crossing his arms. He actually didn't mind dressing up, since it was most likely just a one-time thing.

"Well, good luck, Ash." Clemont said, patting his friend on his shoulder. "I'll be watching backstage."

Ash smiled. "Thanks, Clemont." He replied gratefully.

* * *

The theater was packed, as it was a full house. Dawn herself was seated in a box seat near the stage, eager to see the show.

Once all chatter deceased, a bright spotlight came on, illuminating a figure in the middle of the stage. It was Pierre, along with his Klefki.

"Welcome, guests!" He said loudly. "We are here at the famed Aria of Harmony Music Hall to witness a most amazing show tonight!" The crowd cheered and clapped loudly.

"Now before we could begin, we have a very special opening act." Pierre continued once the cheers have subsided. "We have just seen quite a surprising talent from this young Trainer, though he had participated in a few Pokémon Contests in the Kanto and Sinnoh regions."

Dawn's eyes widened at how familiar that sounded. _Could it be?_ She thought.

"This is his first Coordinator performance in a few years, and we are honored to see an appeal such as this right here in the Kalos region. Please give a warm welcome to Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd clapped loudly, while Dawn's eyes widened further, and her heart began pounding vigorously. "Ash?" She whispered.

Immediately, a blue light filled up her box seat as the sound of a Poké Ball opening was heard. Dawn gasped in surprise as her beloved little Piplup appeared, chirping excitedly and then jumped onto her lap.

The Sinnoh Coordinator giggled. "I guess you want to see Ash and Pikachu too." She said.

_"Piplup!"_ The little Penguin Pokémon agreed.

The curtains slowly lifted up as the lights died down. Three shadows appeared, but no one could see them clearly.

Ash closed his eyes, acutely listening to the quieting murmurs of the crowd. His eyes then snapped open in the darkness and he shot his arm straight up.

The silent signal allowed Pikachu on his left to fire a Thunderbolt up at the ceiling, but not hitting anything that can cause damage. The crackling yellow electricity slightly lit up the theater, but Ash and his Pokemon was not fully visible, giving a mysterious yet electrifying appeal.

Just then, the stage lights came on at once, revealing him and his Pokémon, all of them standing confidently. The crowd began clapping.

"Buizel, Aqua Jet!" Ash commanded.

The Sea Weasel Pokémon obeyed, and immediately surrounded itself with a torrent of water. It then launched itself upward and began zigzagging across the entire theater from above. Then, as Buizel came back, Ash and Pikachu leaped out of the way with a twist of their upper bodies as Buizel landed in the middle.

"Use Sonic Boom straight up, and Pikachu, use Iron Tail down!" Ash gave the command.

Pikachu jumped upward, performing a few flips, his cape twirling with him. Buizel's tail glowed white as the Sinnoh Water type spun around, and then with a stylish flick of it, a powerful wave of visible sound came flying up. At the same moment, Pikachu's own tail began glowing a bright silver. The little Electric type then swung his metallic tail down on the Sonic Boom, and the attack began pulsating in the air, creating waves and ripples of sound.

Everyone was in awe at the powerful performance. It showed style and finesse, yet it was also daring and brash. It seemed to fit this young man exceedingly well. Dawn especially, was impressed. She didn't think that her old friend would still be practicing appeals like this.

"Water Gun!" Ash commanded as he slid back to the middle of the stage, his form confident and appealing.

Buizel fired a blast of water up at the pulsating Sonic Boom, and the water began flowing in all directions with the rippling sound waves.

"Quick Attack and come back down!" Ash shouted up to Pikachu.

The Mouse Pokémon obeyed, and with his cape blending into the burst of white energy, he speedily zipped back down, bouncing on the watery waves of sound.

Backstage, watching the truly amazing performance, Clemont was watching it with wonder and amazement with Professor Sycamore. The latter though was looking at the performing young man with pride.

"Now, let's finish this!" Ash said. "Jump!"

The minute that Pikachu landed back onto the stage floor, he quickly joined Ash and Buizel in a daring run right towards the powerful spurting tower of water and sound waves. They all jumped up and literally rode the tower up to the top, making everyone in the theater gasp in amazement.

"Electro Ball, go!" Ash gave out the last command.

Pikachu leaped up and began forming an orb of crackling yellow electricity at its tail. It then swung it down, into the tower. Ash and Buizel leaped off it to avoid getting shocked as the water conducted the electricity.

Waves of lightning, water and sound were pulsating up and throughout the theater until the energy finally faded into blue and yellow sparkles. They gently fell as Ash and his Pokémon struck a final pose, Pikachu on his shoulder, and they confidently crossed their arms, back to back with Buizel.

Everyone began cheering wildly. Dawn and Piplup especially, though their own cheers were muffled by all the others.

"Bravo!" Dawn cheered as loudly as she could. She then excitedly took Piplup in her arms and hurried out of her box. "Let's see if we can get a chance to catch up with him!"

_"Piplup!"_ The little Water type chirped in agreement.

As they left the box, they didn't notice Professor Sycamore watching them. For a strange reason, he had a grim and worried look on his face when he saw the excited Coordinator leave, eager to reconnect with her old friend.

* * *

Meanwhile, Meowth had been recording the entire performance to show Jessie and James. He knew that the former would be furious about this, but they needed to keep tabs on him.

Once it was over, he stopped recording and ran back toward where he and his team were bunkering down. The minute that the recording was over, Jessie looked ready to explode, the ice pack on her head melting.

"HOW DARE HE?!" She shrieked out in anger. Her eyes looked ready to kill someone, and the ice on her head had turned into steam. Whenever Jessie gets like that, it greatly terrifies James and Meowth.

"Oh, so he thinks that he could steal my spotlight from me?!" Jessie continued to scream in anger. "Well, the Twerp better grow a brain because now, this is war!"

James and Meowth can only gulp in nervousness. They almost felt sorry for Ash, who will face her wrath sooner or later.

* * *

The show had ended, and the after party was about to start. Clemont had been looking for Ash, seeing that most of the spectators had become big fans of his.

"Ash?" He called out, his voice echoing as he went further back stage and headed downstairs towards the basement. "Ash?"

The basement area of the Aria of Harmony Music Hall was like a stone maze; ominous, dark and lifeless, the complete opposite of the lively theater above it as it led down to the catacombs of the city. Clemont hated going down there, since he couldn't help but feel like there was something that was watching him from where he couldn't see. But he knew that Ash, who was ever the curious and brave little bugger even as an adult, would often go down there for some reason. Especially when he wanted to be alone and away from the crowd, which was now more common in the past year.

Finally, he found Ash sitting in an empty stone room, still in his costume, with Pikachu and Buizel beside him. He was staring at a picture of him and his mother, Delia Ketchum, when he was a young child. He smiled fondly at it while his Pokémon patted him sympathetically.

"Hey, Ash." Clemont said, getting his attention. "Why are you doing down here? Lots of people want to give you their congratulations." He then lightly punched his friend's shoulder. "I told you that they'll love you."

Ash playfully rolled his eyes. "Well, it's all because of Pikachu and Buizel."

His Pokémon all gave him proud cries of accomplishment, with Pikachu jumping onto his shoulder and Buizel crossing his arms with a smug smile.

"I just wish I had half the talent that you have." Clemont said.

Ash chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, this kind of stuff does takes a lot of practice, but I also think that doing Performance Appeals may not be your strong suit."

Clemont also chuckled. "Point taken." He admitted. "But still, I wish I could know who has been helping you train."

Ash bit his lip. Of course, he saw this coming. Should he tell him?

"Well, I kind of think of her as an angel." He began, which resulted in teasing looks from Clemont and his Pokémon. "Not like that!" He quickly clarified, feeling hot embarrassment flood into his face. "It's more like the way that she always watches me, ever since I came to the Kalos region." Now their teasing had turned to curiosity from Clemont and suspicion from Pikachu and Buizel.

"My mom had said to me before she died, that there is always someone from somewhere above looking out for me." Ash continued to explain. "At first, I thought that I was imagining things. But when I was performing, I could sense her watching me. Even now," he paused to stand up and look around the empty room, "I could hear her telling me how great me and my Pokémon were."

"Are you really sure that you weren't imagining things?" Clemont asked him skeptically, standing up beside him.

He remembered that most of the time, ever since he came to Kalos, Ash would have trouble sleeping because of his grief over his recent loss. Sometimes, he even had nightmares and would wander around the theater. Maybe all of those sleepless nights were finally starting to affect him.

Ash nodded, his eyes glistening. "I'm positive." He said.

Pikachu and Buizel looked up at their Trainer with evident worry in their eyes. Of course, he seemed healthy enough despite the slight insomnia he had been dealing with, but that spark that was in his eyes whenever he would have a Pokémon battle or join in the fight for justice had vanished after the performance was over. It was like the life had been sucked out from them, but it was only reignited briefly when he was on stage.

That wasn't who he really is. Something was dreadfully wrong with him, but it was so inceptible that no one has picked up on it. Hopefully, not yet.

"Come on, Ash." Clemont said. "Let's head upstairs."

Ash only nodded as they and the Pokémon began leaving the basement. But once they reached the top stair, Ash suddenly stopped and began quivering visibly.

_"Pika-pi?"_ Pikachu chirped worriedly.

_"Bui?"_ Buizel added.

"Ash, you okay?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ash assured everyone. "Just got a little chill."

Clemont studied his friend intently like he was a blueprint, taking his friend's hand to see if it was shaking. "A little chill? Your hands are freezing!" He exclaimed. "And your face is getting a little pale."

"I'll be fine." Ash said. "I guess I haven't been getting much sleep."

Clemont knew that his friend was tired, but he didn't think that it would affect him this much. "How about you don't attend the party and just get some rest?" He suggested.

Ash nodded. "Best idea I heard all day." He said.

* * *

It didn't take long for Ash to reach his little dormitory in the theater whenever stagehands would have to work late into the night. Already, he was being swarmed by his new fans, and Professor Sycamore had to come and help keep them at a fair distance. Cameras were flashing madly, making him see spots, and the boisterous pleads for interviews were starting to make his head spin like he was caught in a Seismic Toss.

Finally, Ash was inside his dorm, and Professor Sycamore quickly closed the door behind him after saying with finality to the reporters, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid he's not giving any autographs or doing any interviews." He then shut the door behind him and left Clemont outside to try and deal with them.

The Kanto-born native breathed out a sigh of relief. He had almost forgotten the craziness of what it was like to be swarmed by paparazzi, even though it had hardly happened to him throughout all of his Pokémon journeys. Still, it didn't make it any easier.

Pikachu and Buizel collapsed on the bed with relief and began taking off their costumes. The little Electric type even chucked his cape away to the other side of the room once he had freed himself from its grip.

Professor Sycamore gave Ash a proud smile. "You did an amazing job, Ash." He complimented the younger man, making him smile. Then he turned to Pikachu and Buizel. "All of you were."

The Pokémon gave him their cries of agreement and glowing pride, agreeing with the professor's words, making their Trainer smile proudly at them. But then, his attention was turned to the older man as he gazed at his desk.

Lying there was a single blood red rose in full splendor bloom, the flower itself as big as Ash's fist, the stem thornless and having a pink ribbon with black lace tied around it.

"It seems that she is proud of you as well." Sycamore said simply and mysteriously, while Ash just mutely went to the desk and picked up the rose, slightly twirling it between his fingers.

Sensing that Ash didn't want any more company from other people for the moment, Professor Sycamore took his leave and quietly exited the room to rescue Clemont from the swarming cameras and news reporters blocking the hallway outside. The Kanto native just stared at the rose in his hands, slowly twirling it and fingering the ribbon and the petals.

Pikachu and Buizel shared a glance with each other, having a mix of worry, concern and curiosity in their eyes. It was obvious that someone went through a whole lot of trouble just to anonymously leave their Trainer a single rose to congratulate him for his efforts. But they had no idea who it could be.

And it seemed that as much as Ash was flattered by the sweet gesture, he also seemed like he was scared. His hands were beginning to shake with fear, and he looked like he might start to sweat. There was definitely something that he wasn't telling them, and they needed to find out what it was.

Ash then sat down in the desk's matching soft cushioned chair, his eyes still glued to the beautiful flower in his hands, feeling like he was starting to lose function in his legs. And then, there was a small twinge of terror flashing in his amber brown eyes.

* * *

Outside, Dawn finally managed to squeeze through the crowd to the entrance, even though there were a few reporters that wanted an interview about her new role in the theater company. Piplup was on her shoulder instead of in her arms to avoid being accidentally pressed into a pancake from the crowds and his Trainer, who was trying to get past them.

"Miss Dawn?" Pierre caught the young woman's attention before she could make another step toward Ash's room. "Ah, there you are. It seems that we have made quite a discovery with young Ketchum, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, he was quite spectacular, and so were his Pokémon." Aria, who had also approached them with her Delphox, added in.

"Perhaps we could introduce him to you, Mademoiselle?" Pierre suggested.

Dawn chuckled. "No, that won't be necessary." She said. "Besides, if you don't mind, this is one visit I can handle on my own."

_"Piplup!"_ The little Sinnoh Water type caught his Trainer's attention.

Dawn looked over at the little Penguin Pokémon perched on her shoulder. He then pointed to the flowers that Aria had in her hand. There were some Gracidea flowers in the bouquet, the familiar soft pink flowers native to Sinnoh and bringing back some memories to Dawn's mind. Surely, it could bring them both on a trip down memory lane, perfect for catching up.

"Thanks for this, though." Dawn said, deftly picking two of the Gracidea flowers from Aria's bouquet and heading over to the bedroom door.

Aria and Pierre were slightly puzzled by Dawn's cheerful behavior about seeing Ash. "It would seem that they have met before." The latter said.

Suddenly, Aria had a knowing look on her face, her lips pulled up into a smile. "Oh, I think that's just the beginning of that." She said coyly, making the Performance host look over her, a bit confused by what she was trying to imply.

* * *

**A/N: I think suspense is slowly starting to build up. But why make Ash the victim? Well, after a loss like this, it's like a big piece of him has been lost. And is it just me, or is someone trying to take advantage of that?**

**Well, we'll have to wait and see. I guess I'll see y'all in Chapter 3, where we'll finally have a little bit of Pearlshipping! Please leave a review about what you think. They're highly appreciated.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	4. Reunion Between Old Friends

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: I guess I forgot to tell you guys that I don't want to start a fan war in the reviews. So please, keep the language to a minimum, and if you don't agree with this story, then don't read it.**

**Now that's out of the way, let's get on with Chapter 3. Roll it!**

Chapter 3

Reunion Between Old Friends

When the door opened, Ash was still staring at the blood red rose in his hands, a strange, indescribable emotion still in his eyes. Pikachu and Buizel however, saw it open, and Piplup quickly waddled inside, greeting them happily. The two Pokémon were overjoyed to see their old friend from their journey in Sinnoh, and they both jumped down from the bed and rushed over to the little Water type.

Ash finally broke out of his thoughts and turned around to look at the three friends. "Piplup?" He asked, immediately recognizing the Penguin Pokémon.

The door then opened up a little bit further, and then it closed softly. "It's been far too long, Ash." A very familiar voice to him said.

Ash looked ahead towards the doorway and saw Dawn standing there, putting two Gracidea flowers on a table and a bright smile on her face.

"Dawn!" He exclaimed happily, the previous somberness immediately gone from his eyes and the rose dropped from his hands and laid forgotten on the desk.

Dawn gave her old friend a smile and lifted her hand up, asking for a high-five. Ash beamed and felt his heart start to swell. He remembered their little trademark back when they were younger. He quickly held up his own hand and it made contact with hers. Right when their palms clapped, Ash felt something click inside of him.

The two of them stayed like that for a few extra moments, not bothered or felt awkward in the least. This was something that was much too personal to be ruined by something like that. Both of them took the opportunity to study how much the other has changed.

Both of them had grown, but Ash was now a couple of inches taller than Dawn, instead of when they were young teenagers and were about the same height. Dawn's figure had become slim with some curves, and Ash had grown a bit more muscle on his body, but still pretty svelte. But both of them noticed that the spark that they had always admired in each other, even back when they were younger, seemed to have vanished as the years went by.

However, it had to come to an end when they heard their Pokémon trying to get their attention. All three of them had smug and knowing looks on their faces, looking between the two Trainers. Both of their humans blushed red and gave them silent threats as they glared at them. But the cheeky Pokémon just shrugged it off as they went to the other side of the room to continue catching up while their Trainers talked things out.

Dawn was the first to break the silence. "So, um, how have you been after all this time?" She asked him. "I haven't seen you since the Junior Cup in Unova."

Ash smiled fondly at the memories that came back into his head. "Yeah. It has been a while." He said. "Four years actually."

Dawn then looked down at the floor. Ash wondered why, but then, he saw guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said. "For not trying to keep in touch with you. You were, and still are, my best friend."

Ash felt oddly touched by her words, a weird little warmth developing in the pit of his stomach, but he knew that he can't really blame her for anything. They have had their fair share of arguments throughout their Sinnoh journey, but he couldn't stay mad at her for long.

"It's not your fault." He assured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. "You were working towards reaching your goal, I was working towards mine, and they couldn't go down the same path forever. Look at you now. You're a Top Coordinator now."

The Sinnoh-native woman smiled up at her old friend. She had really worked hard in the Hoenn Pokémon Contests after she had parted ways with Ash at the end of their Sinnoh journey together about six years ago. During the course of those years, after she had won the Hoenn Grand Festival, and also become a Poké Stylist back in her home region, she still felt like there was something missing in her life that she couldn't put her finger on, but she wasn't sure of what it was. When she had visited Ash in Unova when they were sixteen, something came back into place, but only briefly, for it was gone when she had to leave again.

"Still though, I should've tried to make the effort to contact you." Ash continued, removing his hand from her shoulder and the smile had vanished from his face. He then turned slightly away so that he wasn't facing her anymore.

Dawn looked at him with curious eyes. Something had changed in her old friend, and for some reason, it chilled her to her core.

"Ash, did something happen?" She asked.

Ash flinched visibly. The conversation between their Pokémon quieted down once the Coordinator asked her question. The raven-haired man gave a dry chuckle.

"I see you haven't changed a bit." He said. "Unlike me."

Dawn placed a hand on his cheek, making him look back at her in the eyes. She ignored how pale he looked and how cold his skin felt to her. Any other time, she would've blushed at what she was doing, but she couldn't worry about that then. Her friend needed some reassurance.

"Ash, I know that we haven't spoken in a long time up until now, but you know that you can always talk to me about anything." She said. "That's one thing that will never change between the two of us, I can promise you that."

Ash didn't say a word, and he resisted the strange urge to lean into Dawn's soft touch. Instead, he took her hand in his, removing it from his face and then led her towards the bed. Once they had sat down, he spoke.

"A lot has changed since I last saw you." He began. "When I came back to Pallet Town from Unova, my mom got really sick with a high fever. I had to stop travelling so that I can help my mom's Mr. Mime take care of her. But she got worse by the day. Finally, she just couldn't fight it anymore."

Dawn's hand covered her mouth when she realized what Ash was implying. Then, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "Ash, I'm so sorry." She whispered, feeling her eyes well up in tears.

Ash didn't do anything for a couple of moments, standing there stiffly a bit surprised by her action. But he then returned the embrace, holding Dawn tight and close to his body, which was vibrating as he tried to will himself not to cry in front of her. The Pokémon remained silent, but Pikachu and Buizel looked down in sorrow at the reminder of the painful loss. Piplup only patted them on the backs gently in an attempt to comfort them, not making a sound.

Finally, Ash broke the hug. "I've been in a bit of a funk ever since. But Professor Oak thought he could cheer me up by sending me here to Kalos for a research assignment." He continued. "And I've learned a lot during my time here, and I've made some great friends here in Lumiose City. But now, I think I don't want to go back home. If I do, I might lose the will to explore completely."

"You can't stay away from your home forever." Dawn said. "We don't run from our problems, we face them."

What happened to the Ash Ketchum she knew who would fight against all odds and jump headfirst into danger just to do what is right? Obviously, the death of his mother, who she supposed was the only parent he knew, was affecting him on a level that Dawn couldn't comprehend. She supposed that this kind of grief was one of the hardest to overcome in life. She wouldn't know what to do if she was in his place; feeling broken and lost if she lost her own mother.

She gently squeezed his hand and decided to change the subject to a lighter one. "But I have to admit though, that performance you did with Pikachu and Buizel earlier was just incredible." She said. "I could've mistaken that you have been practicing Contest performances behind my back."

Ash chuckled lightly, grateful that Dawn wasn't going to press more on the matter of his loss. "Hey, I remember that I've had lots of fun with Contests during our journey together in Sinnoh, and since they didn't have a replacement for the Performer who was supposed to do the opening act tonight, it was suddenly given to me when they saw what I can do."

Dawn giggled. "Still, now that I'm going to be a temporary instructor here, maybe you and I can practice some appeals in our free time."

The Pokémon cheered at the thought of spending more time with each other, and with the rest of Dawn's Pokémon, but Ash had a worried look on his face.

"That would be nice, but… I can't." He said. Dawn looked over at him, puzzled. "I have been practicing Contest appeals, but with someone else."

The blunette woman raised a curious eyebrow. "Who?" She asked.

Ash was a bit hesitant, but answered her question. "She calls herself an Angel, but I'm not sure myself. She actually is amazing with performances."

Dawn felt like there was something that Ash wasn't telling her about, but she didn't question anything else about the subject. "Well, how about you and I continue catching up over dinner?" She asked him.

Ash looked up at her with confused and surprised eyes, a stray pink streak across his face. Dawn immediately figured out why. Her little suggestion sounded a lot like a date! No one just straight up asks someone they haven't seen in over four years on a date just like that!

"Uh, I mean, uh, since the gala's going on downstairs, you can get out of your costume and come attend the dinner, and uh, I can, um, save you a seat?" She quickly stammered out a correction.

Ash did feel an unfamiliar but not unpleasant heat continue to build up in his face at the thought. But he ignored it.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Dawn and the Pokémon looked at him, obviously confused. "I-It's not that I don't want to, it's because…." He trailed, his eyes quickly scanning the room with fear, as if he was afraid that something or someone was going to barge in.

"The Angel is very strict about my activities when I'm not practicing." Ash finally said. "She doesn't like it when I slack off in my practicing."

"Well, it won't be for too long. Just for a few minutes." Dawn said, not entirely listening to what Ash had said. She held out her arms, and Piplup hopped into them.

"You can change, and I'll be waiting downstairs. See you in a bit, Ash." The last part was rushed as the blunette Top Coordinator hurried outside.

"Dawn, wait!" Ash called after her. But the door had already been closed.

* * *

From the other side of it, in the now empty hallway, Dawn slapped a palm to her forehead. "Way to go, Dawn Berlitz." She quietly scolded herself. "That invitation couldn't be any more embarrassing."

Dawn would silently admit it right then, she knew that she had formed some sort of a crush on Ash Ketchum during their journey together. And after his performance an hour ago, those feelings that she had around him returned, were increased tenfold, and were finally identified in the span of five seconds. But now, she might've already blown it before she even tried to make a move. If she wanted to.

She walked away from the door and down the hall, muttering to herself and holding her beloved Piplup in her arms. But the little Pokémon was trying to contain his bubbling laughter from his Trainer's failed attempt.

"That's not funny, Piplup!" Dawn quietly admonished him as she exited the hall.

But just only a few seconds after she had left, a shadow came by the door of Ash's dormitory, standing in front of it.

* * *

Inside his room, Ash was scribbling something on a piece of paper. Once he was done, he put down the pencil and folded the note. He looked at the note with Dawn's name written on the front flap.

He sighed. _I wish I could tell her. But I can't._ He thought to himself. Dawn was one of his closest friends, and he did feel bad about not being completely honest with her. But it was for her safety more than his.

_"Pika-pi."_ The voice of his top partner made Ash turn around to face his Pokémon. Both Pikachu and Buizel were looking at him with unconvinced expressions.

"Don't look at me like that, guys." He said to them, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious from the way they were looking at him, his cheeks colored a faint red. "It's not that I don't want to catch up with her, I do! I really do!" He then sighed again. "I'm just worried about what she might think."

The Pokémon looked at their Trainer with even more befuddled expressions, their heads tilted sideways. But they didn't press further on the subject, since it looked like he was starting to get stressed out about it.

Ash knelt down to Pikachu. "Hey, Pikachu? Can you give this to her?" He handed the Electric type the note he had written. "It tells her that I'm really sorry, but I'm not going to dinner."

Pikachu looked up at his Trainer with bewildered eyes, and then at the note. Well, at least he's giving Dawn notice instead of completely ditching her. He grabbed the note in his mouth and scampered out of the room through a flap in the door just for Pokémon.

Ash then looked at Buizel, pulling out his Poké Ball. "All right, Buizel." He said. "Return. You did a great job tonight."

Buizel was a little surprised that his Trainer was calling him back to his Ball so soon, for he was still concerned about him, but the red light from the capsule sucked him in before he could react. The only thought that went through his mind was this: Ash was hiding something.

Once Ash had Buizel back in his Poké Ball, he placed it on the night table that was next to his bed. Next, he went into the bathroom to get out of his now restricting costume.

As he struggled to free himself from the constricting clothing, he muttered to himself, "Guess I really was that into the performance."

Soon, Ash was free from the fancy outfit and dressed into much more comfortable clothes for sleep: a simple white tank top and pale blue shorts, and barefoot. He exited and dropped the clothes on a spare chair. He stifled a yawn as he went to lock the door. But for some reason, before he could turn the lock, he saw that it was already locked.

"That's weird." He said to himself, slightly pulling on the handle to open the door, but it didn't budge. "I don't remember locking it already." Ash fiddled with the handle a few more times. "Does the door even lock from the outside?"

A sudden chill ran up his spine as he slowly turned away from the door and cautiously looked around the room. He knew who was responsible for this.

* * *

Back near the stairs of the main hall, Dawn was getting a little anxious about Ash arriving late. At first, she thought he was ditching her, but then she realized that he would never do that. Even if he was going to decline, he would do something to let her know.

Finally, she sighed, rubbing her arm. "I had to open my big mouth." She muttered, her cheeks a deep pink as she recalled just how the abrupt dinner invitation went. "Of course he wouldn't come after what came out of it."

_"Piplup."_ The little Water type Pokémon in her arms chirped, a bit disappointed for his Trainer and that he also couldn't get more time to catch up with his old friend, Pikachu.

But then, he sensed some movement coming down the stairs. _"Pip?"_ He questioned, looking up at the stairway.

Dawn looked up at the stairs also, and for a brief moment, thought that it was Ash. However, it turned out to be his Pikachu instead.

"Pikachu?" She asked.

The little Electric type bounded down the stairs to Dawn and handed her the note from his mouth. _"Pika-pi, Pikachu."_ He squeaked.

Dawn took the note from Pikachu, unfolded it, and began to read it.

_Dawn,_

_I really am happy that I got to see you again after so long. Maybe even the happiest that I've ever been since my mom passed. No, traveling to a totally new region didn't count this time, but it was a close second, to be honest._

_I really wish I could continue catching up with you, and with the rest of your Pokémon, but I can't. It's not that I don't want to, I just can't. It's because of the Angel. She seems pretty touchy whenever I mention old friends, so I hardly talk to her about stuff like that. Even when I'm not practicing with her, she always seems to know where I am, who I was with, and what has been on my mind._

_It's actually kind of spooky, now that I really think about it, but I can't exactly put up a fight against her. I'm not as strong as I once was back when we were younger. So I think it would be best if we both keep our distance from each other, at least for now and in the theater. I promise, I'll find a way to explain everything to you, even if it may sound crazy. But at least do this for me in the meantime._

_No need to worry about me. We'll continue catching up some other time, I promise._

_Thank you,_

_Ash._

Dawn was now officially confused. So Ash does want to catch up with her, but is forbidden to do so? All because of this Angel, who apparently is his mentor. Why?

Obviously, this Angel is a woman, so maybe she is a bit protective of him, like a mother? Or is it for something else entirely? Is she controlling his life because he is mourning? But out of all the questions that were swarming in Dawn's head, two stood out the most.

Just who is this Angel? And what makes her think that it is her place to say about who Ash can and cannot hang out with? He is free to make his own choices, no matter what anyone else. She learned that back when they were fifteen, travelling in Sinnoh.

She quickly folded the note and looked up the stairs, a determined look in her blue eyes. "Come on, you two." She said to the Pokémon beside her. "I want to talk to him, even if he doesn't want to."

Piplup and Pikachu voiced their agreements while nodding their heads. Together, all three of them went up the stairs and back to Ash's dorm.

"Ash?" Dawn called out to her friend, lightly knocking on it. "Come on, I know you're in there. I just want to talk."

There was no answer.

"Ash, you better not be ignoring me." Dawn said, getting a little bit annoyed, and then reached for the handle. But when she tried to twist it to open it, it didn't budge.

"Ash Ketchum, did you lock this door?" Dawn demanded with a huff, and continued to struggle with the door.

Pikachu looked up at the lock. It was turned to the right to show that it was indeed locked, but he knew that Ash wouldn't lock it until he was back, even though he could always go through the flap.

Suddenly, there was something coming from inside the room. A voice.

"Come to me, my hero." It said, and it was as sweet as a melody and smooth as honey. However, as enticing as it was, it sent a chill down the spine of the little Electric type.

Dawn immediately froze in her trying to fiddle around with the locked door handle. She had heard it too, and Piplup gave out a quiet chirp of surprise when the voice reached his ear slits.

"What was that?" Dawn muttered to herself. Then her voice rose up in volume. "Who is that in there?" She demanded.

She then began worrying. What if someone had broken in and Ash was attacked?

"Ash?" She asked, rapidly banging her fist on the door. "Ash!"

But the only answer she got was the silky voice again. "Come to me, my hero." It repeated.

Pikachu quickly went over to the door flap, but he was bounced back once he tried to charge through it! _"Pika?!"_ He chirped in shock.

How could the flap be sealed shut?! One thing was for sure, Ash wasn't responsible for it. He continued to push against the flap to make it open, and Piplup joined in his efforts while Dawn continued to bang on the door.

"Ash, answer me!" Dawn pleaded, now really worried about what might be happening. But not another sound was heard, not even the voice.

Finally, Pikachu and Piplup got through the flap, as if it was never sealed shut, and a bit haphazardly though. The electric rodent immediately began calling out for his Trainer once he was back on his paws.

_"Pika-pi?"_ He called, eyes frantically scanning the room.

But no one was there. Ash was gone.

* * *

**A/N: Now at last, the suspense is starting to build up.**

**Hold on to your seats, though. Things will only continue to escalate, even though the pieces will be found. The question is, how will they fit?**

**Y'all have to wait until Chapter 4 for more clues. Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated, but remember, no starting fan wars! And keep the language friendly.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	5. The Mystery Begins

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: Sorry I took so long on this. Things have been crazy this summer, with my whole family moving and soon, I'll be moving again for college. But, I'm back with another chapter.**

**So let's get started with it. Roll it!**

Chapter 4

The Mystery Begins

Pikachu felt frozen in his tracks as he stared at the empty room. Everything in his brain came to a screeching halt. He had heard some of the rumors of Ash somehow disappearing almost every other night, but to actually see evidence of that with his own eyes, and in such a terrifying manner, made his fur stand on end and his heart feeling like it had stopped.

Piplup shook his best friend slightly, snapping him out of his state of shock. The little Mouse Pokémon shook his head rapidly and immediately went to look for Buizel. Surely, he must've known what had happened.

There was the sound of a Poké Ball opening up, and in a flash of blue and white light, a worried Buizel appeared.

_"Pika!"_ Pikachu called out to the Sinnoh Water type. He then asked him, in his own language, where Ash was. _"Pika-pi, Pikachu?"_

Buizel shook his head, saying that he didn't. Pikachu huffed in frustration, and began searching vigorously around the room, with the Sea Weasel Pokémon.

"Ash? Please answer! You're scaring me!" Dawn's voice called out from behind the locked door. Piplup quickly went back through the flap to try and tell his Trainer about the situation.

Pikachu and Buizel were frantically looking around the room, looking for any sign of Ash, if there was the presence of someone else in the room, or of a possible struggle. Something broken, ripped, or an unfamiliar scent. Finally, the little Electric type noticed something was a little bit off in the room, near the back wall.

_"Pika, Pika!"_ He called to Buizel, and then pointed it out to him.

The Sinnoh Water type was a little suspicious about the possible clue that Pikachu found. The Kanto native Electric Pokémon glared at him, saying that this was literally all they've got to go on. Finally, Buizel shrugged and followed Pikachu towards the clue.

* * *

Word quickly spread about Ash's abrupt disappearance to the theater staff. Discreetly, a search party was sent out so that news of it doesn't leak out to the public. If it did, then the news would be all over this like Mandibuzz onto carrion.

In spite of that, Dawn insisted that she help for a little while instead of going back to her apartment. Her friend somehow went missing, and she was going to find him.

Soon, Clemont had given her the key to Ash's dorm. "I had no idea that the door could lock both ways." He said to her.

"Do you think he was locked in there on purpose?" Dawn asked.

Clemont just shrugged. "No clue." He said. Then, he had silently walked away.

Dawn inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Sure enough, the handle was unlocked, and she carefully entered the dorm.

"Ash?" She whispered.

There was no one inside. Piplup jumped off her shoulder and began to search the room, looking for any possible clues. Dawn came in and then closed the door behind her.

"Pikachu? Buizel?" The two Pokémon were in the room earlier, but now, they weren't. What was it with boys and their Pokémon suddenly disappearing without a trace?

Both Dawn and Piplup quietly examined the room, seeing if there was anything slightly out of the ordinary. But nothing seemed to jump out to them right away. It was like they all just simply vanished into thin air.

Just then, Piplup noticed a tiny crack between the mirror and the wall. It was so small, no one would see it at first glance. He got his Trainer's attention and pointed it to her with his flipper. Dawn saw it and got closer to it.

Her fingers got in between the separation, and she felt empty space behind it. Wanting to test something, Dawn pushed against the mirror, trying to move it to the side. To her surprise, it did, revealing a hidden, shadowy stone passageway behind it.

"Okay." She whispered, feeling goosebumps beginning to prickle against her skin. "This is starting to get a little creepy."

Piplup only nodded his head in agreement, trembling visibly. Both Trainer and Pokémon squeezed through the narrow opening and into the passageway.

Dawn then noticed that the mirror works both ways. Someone can be looking into the room, and someone could see them back if they looked hard enough. Was someone watching Ash without him noticing? The thought of it seriously disturbed her. If she knew Ash, he hardly would know a stalker unless they confessed. Or was someone wanting Ash to see him or her staring at him? But that wouldn't make sense. Even though the guy was pretty clueless with a lot of things, the first thing he would do if he found out was restrain the perpetrator and get some answers.

Dawn then turned towards the narrow passageway. It looked dark and damp and seemed to go on without end, with rusty old candelabras stationed every three feet on the wall down the straight path, but yet there was the scent of burning oil from every one of them, like they had been lit at least half an hour ago. Someone had to have been in here, and maybe they took Ash.

Dawn carefully took small steps down the passageway. She wished that she could have remembered to bring her Quilava with her so that it can light up the passage a little bit. Right now, she and her Piplup were basically walking blindly into the cold, dark path. It felt like it was coming from a scene of either a mystery or a horror movie.

The further down they walked, the more Dawn felt like there might be something or someone watching her and her beloved little Penguin Pokémon. She half-expected to have a ghost, whether human or Pokémon, jump out of nowhere and scare her to death in a few seconds.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm. She turned around and yelped in fright. But then she immediately relaxed as she saw that it was only Professor Sycamore. He gently led her and Piplup out of the passageway.

Once they were out, Sycamore slid the mirror back into its original place. "Did you know about that mirror?" Dawn asked.

"This place has many secret entrances." Sycamore explained. "Where they lead exactly, I don't know. But what I do know is that they all lead under the theater and towards the catacombs of the city, and if someone ever goes down there, it means that they don't want to be found."

Dawn let that sink in for a few seconds before she picked up Piplup in her arms and followed Professor Sycamore back out of the room.

Ash wouldn't head down there by himself, would he? Oh, what was she thinking? That does sound like something he would do from what she remembered from their Sinnoh journey. He always had a knack for getting into trouble or finding a mystery.

But then, what was that voice she heard in the room earlier? It was soft and hypnotizing, like a siren from the tales of mythology. Maybe someone did find their way into that passageway and was watching Ash earlier. And by the tone of the voice, it sounded like it was a woman.

Was she responsible for Ash's disappearance? Or was she just hearing things? But if she was, then how did Pikachu and Piplup hear it, too? It must have been real.

And his Pokémon. They must've found the passageway behind the mirror and went after him. If only she had brought one of her own Pokémon other than Piplup to try and track them down. But it seems that this was all the investigating she would be doing for tonight.

Hopefully, Ash can come back soon with both Pikachu and Buizel, and she can get some answers. She didn't care if his so-called mentor would be angry with them hanging out. She needed to know what was going on.

And if Ash was in any sort of trouble, she will be there by his side and help him fight against whatever he might be facing. She had left his side once before, when she had to leave for Johto for the Wallace Cup when they had reunited in Unova over four years ago. She was not going to do that this time; that one mistake she never wanted to make again.

* * *

Sycamore was leading Dawn to her ride through the backstage area, where the stagehands and some of the more supporting Performers were having a bit of a party of their own. Clemont came over to them with Chespin on his shoulder, looking pretty uncomfortable.

"Not a fan of parties?" Dawn asked him.

Clemont shook his head sheepishly. "Not these kinds." He said.

In a matter of seconds, Dawn could easily see why. There were many bottles of wine and booze on the tables, and even on the floor. Some other people were starting to get a little jiggy with each other, making Dawn visibly cringe with disgust. This wasn't her idea of fun, either.

Just then, the lead stagehand was pretending to scare some people while flirting with some of the drunken female Performers. "Like the finest silk is her skin, on one side; the other, like old paper, but clothed in white." He said, as if he was telling some sort of scary story. Dawn's ears tuned in on his words in curiosity.

"Her one eye, as blue as ice, which can kill if you look at her face too long." The lead stagehand continued ominously. "Lines of purple run over the monstrous side of her face, sometimes even leaking out drops of blood if she gets angry."

Clemont and Professor Sycamore rolled their eyes at his over exaggeration. Dawn leaned in closer to the blond man. "Who is he talking about?" She asked in a whisper.

"The Angel Phantom." Clemont explained quietly to the young Top Coordinator. "They say that she is the ghost that haunts this theater. If no one listens to her demands, then she takes pretty drastic measures to punish them."

"How drastic?" Dawn asked him.

"You must always be on your guard." The voice of the lead stagehand caught her attention again. "Or she will catch you, with her magical ribbons. They may be soft as velvet, but that will be the last thing you feel before they tighten around your neck."

Dawn gulped. So it was that drastic. This Angel Phantom, if things don't go her way, or if no one listens to her demands, then she kills them as punishment. Now this was starting to sound like a horror story that people would tell others around a campfire if they wanted to stay up all night in fright.

"Is she really a ghost?" She asked Clemont.

Clemont shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure." He said. "Some of the stagehands say it's just a story, others say that she was real. Or rather, is real."

His implication made Dawn shudder visibly. But was he talking about if the Angel Phantom was the undead, or was she actually real, like in flesh-and-blood?

Professor Sycamore seemed to have had enough of that storytelling and he went over to the lead stagehand and his group of listeners. Everyone around them grew silent, even in their drunken states, as the professor started to speak.

"Those of you who talk of what they know like this will find out too late that keeping silent is wise." He said, glaring firmly at the lead stagehand. Dawn and Clemont's eyes widened as chills suddenly ran down their spines. Piplup held on tighter to his Trainer's arms as best as he could with his flippers.

"Monsieur, you best hold your tongue." Sycamore snapped at him, making the others around them gasp at the short temper of the usually level-headed Pokémon professor. Dawn then thought for a second that he might slap him across the face. "Don't judge an old book before you know the whole story." Sycamore said to him before leaving.

"Come, Mademoiselle." He gestured over to Dawn as they continued to leave the theater through the back to avoid any lingering paparazzi. The blunette only nodded her head mutely, and they quickly left the scene.

Dawn's mind continued to race as she got over to her car and began to recall the night's strange events. The way Professor Sycamore had admonished the lead stagehand, it was like he was warning him about facing the wrath of the Angel Phantom. Was she real?

Angel Phantom. That sounded familiar. Ash had said earlier that his mentor who was helping him with his performance training, he thought of her as an Angel. Were they the same person?

If so, then Ash could be in trouble if she went through so much trouble and secrecy to snatch him away in the dead of night. But his Pokémon must've already found him and he will be battling his way out to freedom once again, just like old times. But yet, there was something inside of her, telling her that this was only the beginning and she already bitten off more than she can chew.

Also, something inside was telling her that Ash was at the center of it all. Honestly, she shouldn't be that surprised by that. From what Ash had told her about his many adventures during his journeys before she met him and as they travelled together, Dawn should have expected it. But this time, her gut was telling her that she should worry greatly about him, like this is one jam that he can't get out of on his own. Not when his mind is in such a weakened state.

* * *

**A/N: Scary enough? No? Well, let me know on how I can improve in the future. And I know that this chapter is shorter than all the other ones, but there's not much I can expand on with just these two little scenes.**

**Until the next chapter, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	6. The Angel's Curse

Light's Love and Night's Passion

**A/N: Sorry for taking a while on this. I had some writer's block on it for a while. But then, I was suddenly hit with a burst of inspiration last night. I wanted to finish it that night, but I was literally dozing off while I was writing it. So I got some sleep, and now, I've finally finished it. **

**Let's get on with Chapter 5! Roll it! **

Chapter 5

The Angel's Curse

_"So when did you find out that the Angel was actually real, Mom?" Evan carefully asked his mother, holding his Piplup tighter in his arms, but not enough to accidentally suffocate the little Water type. _

_The family had left the theater once the auction was over, with their purchase safely in Mari's hands, and they were beginning to get back inside the car. As the dull auction had continued on earlier, Dawn had quietly whispered the story so far until they were outside upon the end of the auction. _

_Dawn just softly smiled as she unlocked the car. "That wasn't until much later." She answered her youngest son._

_"I'm more curious about what happened to Dad." Mari said, getting inside and her Pikachu jumping onto her lap, the little Electric type being careful of the music box. "He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air like that. Could he?"_

_"You're really asking that?" Luke asked his sister, his brow raised as he took his own seat in the very back of the rental car with his Lucario. "Our family is infamous for pulling off stunts like that."_

_Dawn chuckled lightly. "Well, you're right about that, Luke." She said as she started up their car with her Prinplup in the passenger seat. Evan took his spot on the other side of Mari, with his Piplup sitting in his lap as well._

_"But that was one disappearing act that I really wanted solved, especially because of that scare your dad gave me." Dawn continued as they carefully got out of their parking spot. "But I had a feeling right away that it wasn't his own doing, and the first ones to figure out what actually happened were your father's Pikachu and Floatzel, back when he was still a Buizel."_

* * *

Pikachu and Buizel were trying their best to track down their Trainer as they ran through the catacombs underneath the theater. He had to be down here. He just had to. Why, they weren't exactly sure, but they were determined to get some answers.

It was dark and damp down there, making it hard to see, or even smell, in those catacombs. But Pikachu could still smell that someone had been down there, despite the sewage stench, pretty recently. And whoever it was, they might know something about his Trainer.

Suddenly, he caught a familiar scent. He sniffed the air, trying to differentiate from the damp muck of the catacombs and the new scent. His eyes widened when he realized why the scent was so familiar.

_"Pika-pi."_ He said.

Pikachu took off like a shot down the hallway with Buizel following as best as he could. Both of them ran down the passage, seeing that there was a dim light getting brighter and brighter as they continued towards it.

Finally, they reached the end of the passage, and they saw that there was a large aqueduct system that hasn't been used in years. The murky water looked deep, and it trails down deeper into the catacombs.

Pikachu sniffed the air again, ignoring the strong smell of the dirty water, but at least it was mostly just water and mud. He then caught Ash's scent again, from somewhere further down the aqueduct.

_"Pika, Pika."_ He pointed down the murky river.

_"Bui, Bui."_ Buizel nodded, and then jumped into the murky water. He resurfaced after a few seconds and gestured to Pikachu to get on him. Carefully, the Electric type jumped onto his back, and Buizel zipped down the aqueduct.

After a few minutes of swimming through the dark sewer, Pikachu's ears perked up when he heard something faint ahead of them. He gently patted Buizel on the head to get him to stop. Both of them froze for a few seconds until the sound slightly got louder.

Music. Beautiful, but haunting, music.

Buizel quietly headed down the tunnel where the music was coming from. Soon, they saw that there was an old iron gate lifted up, leading into a shallow pool and a large man-made cavern. The lights seemed brighter from inside the cavern, which came from hundreds of candles stationed everywhere.

Both Pokémon quietly swam inside and towards the end of the pool, trying to make as little sound as possible, trying to mimic the sounds of ripples in the water, in case if there was someone there. Their suspicions were soon proved correct.

On one end of the pool, sleeping deeply at the banks of it, were four different Pokémon. One of them was a female Braixen, the second was a male Pancham, the third a female Sylveon, and the fourth, much to their fright, was a male Malamar. They heard of the scary stories about the psychic powers of the Kalosian Psychic and Dark type. Quietly, they swam to the other end of the pool, away from the sleeping Pokémon.

They reached what looked like a carved stone staircase at the base of the pool, next to a large wooden gondola-like boat. They got out of the water and quietly went up the stairs to the top. There was a large cavity that served as a sort of room, with a white tulle curtain covering the entrance, with black silk drapes on the sides. They both tucked underneath the curtain and entered the room.

There he was. Their Trainer and friend, Ash. He was sleeping peacefully on a large, comfy queen-sized bed, still in his pajamas, but there was a thin black robe draped around his body, and his feet were clad in dark gray loafers.

_"Pika-pi!"_ Pikachu cried out quietly and he scampered onto the bed to nudge his face.

Ash stirred from the contact, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. His vision was a bit blurry until it focused to see Pikachu sitting on the bed with him and Buizel standing on the side.

"P-Pikachu?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. "Buizel?"

Both of his Pokémon cried out happily, but quietly, as they went to hug their Trainer. Ash hugged both of them back, though he was pretty confused about what was happening.

"What happened?" He asked after he let them go, holding his head. "Where am I?"

Pikachu and Buizel shared a confused glance with each other. He didn't know what happened?

"I remember being back in my room, getting ready for bed and waiting for you to get back, Pikachu." Ash began, looking around his new surroundings. "Then, I heard her."

* * *

_Flashback_

_Ash slowly turned around, away from the curiously locked door, as he heard the voice of his mentor speaking to him. It sounded like it was coming from all directions._

_"Who does she think she is?" She asked, her tone soft but cold as ice. "Reveling in your accomplishment as if it was her own?"_

_Ash briefly narrowed his eyes at the judgemental tone she was using. "Dawn would never do anything like that." He said. "She's an old friend, and I trust her completely."_

_"Do you?" The voice said. "Perhaps she is just using your success to make herself look better for the public eye."_

_Ash knew that he was practically signing a death warrant if he talked back to her, but no one, and he meant no one, talks like that about Dawn. The thought of it made his skin crawl like there were tiny Durants all over him and his teeth clenched tight, along with his fists._

_"How dare you." He said coldly, which made the air around him seem even colder than when he heard her voice the first time. "You don't like me talking about my past, but don't say anything bad about my friends. Get it?"_

_There was silence for a few seconds as the air in the room seemed to drop a good ten degrees cooler, which would've sent chills down his spine. But Ash just stood there, holding his ground until he turned back around to the door, thinking that she had left._

_"I'm sorry." She said, her voice softer and more gentler. It seemed to lull Ash into some kind of strange trance. "It was wrong of me to suggest such a thing. After all, if you trust her so much, then I suppose she must be someone of good heart."_

_Ash slowly turned to where the voice seemed the loudest. "It's okay." He said._

_But yet, there was something buzzing inside his head, saying that he shouldn't forgive her so easily for such cruel prejudice. But he was slowly getting deeper into the weird trance as there seemed to be a mist coming into the room._

_"To make up for my poor judgement, I have something new to show you." The voice continued. "If you want to see it, that is. Come to me, my hero."_

_Ash turned towards the mirror, which didn't look like a mirror at all. It appeared as a simple yet somewhat mystical portal to something as mist leaked out from it. In the center of it, there was a woman about his age standing there._

_She looked enchantingly beautiful, with soft and wavy honey blonde hair cut down to her shoulders, showing off her pale snow white skin that seemed to not have seen the light of day in years. Her eyes were an alluring sky blue, almost like pure crystal, while Dawn's are more of a warm, sapphire shade, like the ocean. She was wearing a deep red, sleeveless dress that trailed to the floor with a long black cloak draped over it. On the right side of her face was a white face mask that almost seemed to blend in with the own paleness of her skin, though it did have a beautiful red rose with tiny gold designs painted onto the side to show that it was there._

_She held out one of her hands towards him, which were clad with white lace gloves. Ash slowly came over to her, his eyes seeming to get duller and duller as he did so, falling deeper and deeper into the spell that was being inflicted on him._

_"What do you say?" She asked again. "Come to me, my hero."_

_Ash was in front of the mirror now, the woman's hand now held out further to him. Slowly, he took it. Then, everything seemed to blur into shadows and candlelight as she led him inside the mirror._

_End of Flashback_

* * *

Ash then looked over at the black robe around him and the warm loafers on his feet. "That's when everything seemed to go into a weird haze. I don't really remember much after that."

He stood up from the bed and quietly went over to the curtain, with Pikachu and Buizel following him. "But I remember that there was fog, fog everywhere, especially on top of a lake. There were candles everywhere, and on the lake, there was a boat."

He stepped through the curtain, and saw everything that he thought he saw. The lake, the candles, and the boat. Wasn't it a dream after all?

He then whispered to his Pokémon. "And in that boat, there was a woman." He slowly continued as he turned to the side. Both Pikachu and Buizel followed his gaze.

There was a woman there, dancing to silent music. The same woman from before. Her movements were graceful and fluid as she waltzed with an imaginary partner, her eyes closed in bliss.

Ash cautiously took a few steps closer to where she was dancing. His Pokémon tried to follow him, but he stopped them with a gesture of his hand. Then, he went closer to her.

A memory from when he was in his trance came back to his mind. It happened right before he had passed out, after he had arrived here with that woman. His mentor.

_Flashback_

_Ash was in the boat, looking around the many candles that lit up the cave. It looked almost like it came out of a storybook, the many little flickers of light seeming to pulsate._

_The woman got out of the boat, her Pokémon friends following her and then found a nice place to take a nap. She took off her cloak, revealing all of her dress and her bare shoulders, looking like they were carved out of marble. She then turned back to him, her eyes never leaving his, looking at him like he was the most precious thing to her._

_"You've done very well tonight. But there is one thing you must remember when you perform." She said gently, her voice alluring and hypnotic as she held out her hand to him. Ash took it and got out of the boat, entranced by her eyes._

_The woman seemed to be just as captivated as she slowly led him up to the top of the stairs. "When you perform, you must feel it." She said. "Grasp it, sense it within you. Feel it consume you."_

_Ash slowly began to feel like the air was getting heavier, making it harder for him to breathe. He turned back towards the opening of the cavern, feeling like there was something in the back of his mind telling him that there was something a little off about all this._

_But then his mentor placed her gloved hand on his face, turning him back to face her. "The lights above you mean nothing. They put you in there, but you mustn't let it blind you."_

_She turned to the side, with Ash following her gaze. On a large wooden table, there were hundreds of newspaper clippings of his debut already, with his Pikachu and Buizel. It seemed that word travels quickly in the city. Beside them was a hand-painted drawing of him._

_Ash faced her again as she continued to speak softly to him. "Try and listen to the sound of your own heartbeat in the darkness before the lights come on. That's when you feel that overwhelming sensation consume you. They say that the spotlight is your cue to shine, but in reality, the dark is what makes you stronger."_

_The raven-haired Kanto Trainer felt an odd chill go down his spine. Something about that little statement felt a bit off to him, but he was still deep under whatever spell this woman cast on him. His breathing started to get even heavier than before._

_His mentor released his hand as she turned around and lifted up her arms, as if she wanted to fly. "Surrender to whatever imaginings come in your mind. Leave reality behind." She then turned back to face him, her arms lowered back to her sides. "Close your eyes, and let your spirit soar."_

_Ash obeyed, his breathing almost rhythmic. As memories of his earlier performance came into his mind, he did start to feel something stir inside of him. Like it was taking him up in the air to heights unimaginable, making him feel like he was lighter than air._

_When he opened his eyes again, he saw that the woman was holding her hand out to him again. "And you'll feel like your life has just begun. Like you've never lived before until now." She said, whispering like her words were a lullaby._

_Slowly, he placed his hand in hers, and she grasped it gently, her gloved thumb smoothly rubbing over the top of it, before leading him upward again towards the top of the rock. "When you hear the music, move with it. Whether it be soft or bold, let it move you. Hear it. Feel it. Let it possess you." She softly advised._

_There was very little space between them now, passionate icy blue eyes lost in slowly dulling chocolate brown. His mentor then slowly began to circle around him. "Let your imagination take you wherever you desire when you're in the dark."_

_Then, the woman moved away to walk behind some of the candles, Ash's eyes watching her every movement. "Let it take you where you most want to be."_

_She stood in front of him again, getting ever so closer to him. Her hands almost seemed like they were trembling as she reached out and touched Ash's face. His breathing started to quicken at her touch, making him feel like he was drowning, but he didn't want this to stop._

_"When you do, you'll see that you belong with me." She whispered._

_What did she mean by that? She was teaching him new things about performances, and they seemed to be friends. What more could she want?_

_Her gloved hands slowly moved down from his face to touch his chest, her fingers lightly tracing every curve and muscle. Even though his tank top was pretty thin itself, and the gloves were covering her skin, she was leaving burning trails on his chest, making him feel even more breathless than before, and his eyes closed, feeling like he was on fire._

_"This seems like it could be an addiction, but it's one that can make you feel better than ever before." She added, her hand stopping right at his abdomen, and her fingers slowly retracted as a light blush coated her cheeks. "If you allow yourself to savor it."_

_Then, she placed her hands back in his, his eyes had opened up again, and she began leading him once more towards another part of the cavern. Ash began to feel impossibly more tired than before, his eyes sometimes looking glazed over._

_"Only you can bring me what I truly want." She said, her voice soft and gentle. "You can help me achieve true happiness and serenity in my life." She then turned to face him, raw desire flickering in her eyes. "Or my name isn't Serena."_

_Ash blinked at her, before she gestured over with her head towards something that was behind a black velvet curtain. She lifted it away while gently removing her hand from his, allowing him to see what was behind it._

_The last thing that he saw before he ultimately passed out from whatever was making him feel so sluggish and making his breathing heavy, was seeing an image of himself, wearing a fine black tailored suit. It was like staring into another mirror._

_End of Flashback_

_This is her._ He thought to her, slightly hugging and rubbing his arms as chills went up and down his arms as he slightly recalled all of the sensations. _The Angel. I knew she was real. And I know her name now. It's Serena._

Pikachu and Buizel quickly came to the same conclusion that their Trainer did. If this was the Angel that Ash said was helping him with his performances, why would she bring him down here? And is she really just a misunderstood young woman rather than the murderous and dangerous "ghost" everyone else thinks she is?

Ash came ever closer to her, her eyes still closed happily as she gracefully twirled around in a small circle. Her mask caught his interest. Why does she wear it? Is she trying to hide her identity? If so, then who is she really?

To find that out once and for all, he quickly stepped in place of her imaginary partner. He wasn't quite as fluid as she was with her graceful movements, but he quickly managed to keep up with her. Soon, he slowed it down, making Serena come closer to him, her eyes still closed in bliss. She was practically leaning into his chest.

Ash tentatively traced his fingers lightly up her bare arm and up to her face, lightly fingering her mask. She was now breathless by his simple touch, almost like she was craving it, making Ash almost pause in confusion. Why was she acting like this? True, she had always seemed fond of him, but they were friends and nothing more. And he had always wondered why she wore the mask and why she was always so touchy about certain subjects, like family and friends.

Well, it was time to get some answers. No more beating around the bush. Slowly, he removed the mask in one fluid pull.

The next few seconds happened so quickly. When he had gasped in fright at what he saw behind the mask, her icy crystal blue eyes snapped open and she slapped him hard on the chest, making him fall backwards onto his side, her mask still in his hand. Immediately, the sleeping Pokémon that were down by the banks of the pool woke up and sprang over to him, ready to attack him, but Pikachu and Buizel quickly leaped in front of him, protecting their Trainer. The Electric type's cheeks were sparking dangerously, while Buizel had his paws ready at his sides.

"Curse you!" She said, shielding the right side of her face with her hand, keeping it from sight, even though Ash had already seen what was behind it. "You little devil!"

She then turned over to a large mirror, tearing the silk white drape off from it, removing her hand, looking hatefully at her own reflection. "You saw the deformity of Serena, the Angel Phantom." She said. "Isn't that what you wanted to see?!"

Ash flinched at the harsh words, with his Pokémon still protecting him from any moves from the others. "You little brat! You traitor! Because you have seen the monstrosity that is my face, you will never be free again! Curse you!"

Ash's eyes widened in fright as he slowly sat back up, but not moving from his spot on the cold stone ground. Never be free again? What on earth was she talking about?

He had enough already keeping the reason of his impressively growing talent a secret from the theater troupes that worked in the music hall above them, and never having any memory of how he exactly learned his new little techniques, but to never see daylight again; leaving Clemont and Professor Sycamore? And Dawn? Even his own Pokémon? Forever? He never liked staying in one place, even when he was a child, and he loved having his freedom. It was the one thing that reminded him of when everything seemed happy and right in his life. Who is she to say that she could just take that away from him like he was some kind of object or pet?

_Oh yeah, she's the Angel Phantom._ He thought sarcastically. In his mind, the most powerful yet enticing person he ever knew. All of the other evil organization leaders he defied and fought against couldn't hold a candle to the power that she had. The power over the mind.

He already made her furious because of his little stunt from not even two minutes ago. If he was to talk back to her, demanding what on earth she was talking about, she could easily kill him with just a signal from her own hand. So he only laid down on his side, not making another word or moving an inch to see what she might do.

Serena was kneeling down sorrowfully on the ground as she slowly turned to Ash, her hand holding the right side of her face again as a pained look came into her eyes. All fury and anger had left her body, and now, she seemed like she had been abandoned and defenseless. Ash's instincts were on high alert, for he knew that many had tried that before, and he wasn't going to give her an inch unless he sensed truth from her.

"Can you even dare to look at me now?" She asked him, her voice pained and sounding betrayed. "This loathsome demon who is cursed to be this way for eternity. And yet, I still yearn for the enchantment that can free me from this dark, stone prison."

Ash just blinked slowly at her as she continued to wax poetic about her deepest, darkest desires, while the four Pokémon that probably belonged to her all took a few steps back. She turned to face the Ash in the mirror, which was actually a mannequin with the blank face painted to his exact likeness, with the perfectly tailored suit on the body. A suit that seemed perfect for a wedding. The realization then hit him like a lightning bolt to the head.

She was _in love_ with him. No wonder she sounded so jealous of when he would talk about his old friends and adventures, especially when Dawn was talking with him earlier. She didn't want him to leave her. But she can't force him to love her like that, especially when he doesn't know very much about this kind of matter of the heart, or if he even wants it. If he does, then with who?

Serena had kneeled down to the stone ground, her eyes flickering back and never once leaving the real Ash's face. But she didn't come any closer to him. She could still see the fear in his now alive and fiery brown eyes rather than the dull glazing from earlier.

"Please don't be afraid of me." She said softly. "You'll learn to find and see the cursed princess that's behind the monster that you see before you. This repulsive lump of flesh who appears to all as a beast. But yet, I dare to dream of beauty, the purest kind of beauty that I have ever known in my life. The kind that defines you in every way, Ash."

Ash would've blushed at her passionate words if he didn't shed a couple of silent tears at how much she had been suffering for who knows how long. And yet, because of his curiosity, he made her snap at him, who she considered to be the only one who can truly understand her. She was his friend, despite the many horrid secrets she had been hiding from him, particularly of her face.

Pikachu and Buizel turned to look at each other, feeling fear and pity for the woman before them. Then slowly, they stepped away from their protective stance in front of their Trainer as he carefully crawled closer to Serena. He held out her mask to her, his hand almost trembling as he held back more tears from flowing down his cheeks.

Serena gently took it from him and stood back up, placing it back on her face. Ash would've followed her if his legs didn't feel so numb and weak from what he had seen and heard in the past couple of minutes. He almost felt like he was paralyzed.

Serena turned back to him, the right side of her face clad in her mask again. "Come on." She said to Ash. "It's time to head back. Those fools who run the theater will be missing you."

She turned to the male Malamar that had floated beside her. His large body began glowing a soft yellow in front of Ash and his Pokémon. The longer they stared at the light coming from the Dark and Psychic type's body, the more they felt like they were suddenly getting tired and their limbs were feeling like lead. Soon, they had dropped down to the stone floor, sleeping deeply.

Serena stared down at them, her eyes lingering on Ash. He had already started to drift from her control over him. All because of that Sinnoh Coordinator friend of his that he hadn't seen in years. She seemed to have a similar fire within her that he does in himself. But his own flame had been dying down for a while, ever since he came here. But now thanks to that Dawn Berlitz, it is starting to get re-ignited. If this keeps up, his willpower will keep her from having any more influence over him.

Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. He's still pretty spirited and extremely stubborn despite her influence, but he is the only person who ever showed her true kindness in her life, even if he doesn't remember it. But she could never forget about him and of what he did for her. And she'll be cursed by Giratina if she ever lost him to someone else.

* * *

**A/N: I think that flashback scene with Ash and Serena was the most sensual thing I wrote in a long while. Well, unfortunately, things are going to get even more complicated from now on. **

**Until the next chapter, whenever that may be, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated. And no starting flame wars! **

**Got to fly! ;)**


End file.
